Naruto: The Bonds We Share
by Mr.Writers Block
Summary: ATTENTION: Currently in the process of rewriting this fic! A temporary hiatus will follow. A take on Naruto and Hinata's relationship and its development after The Last film. Will cover anything Naruto and Hinata related, with some other pairings in the mix here and there. Not much in the way of plot for now. May be subject to changes. Always open to suggestions and prompts.
1. Chapter 1: Making it a Date

**A/N: Hey All! So I've had this in the works for a few days and I've finally worked up the courage to post it. This is kind of my take on Naruto and Hinata's relationship during that blank period with some slight AU elements. At this point I'm kind of going to write this stuff as it comes to me, but a real plot may come to the surface. Anyway, I'm doing this as a bit of fan service for myself but I also wanted to see if anyone else likes it. So I figured to hell with it. Anyway it's 2:30 in the morning and I need sleep. Enjoy!**

 **Making it a Date:**

 _A week and a half after the Last_

The sun was setting over the Village Hidden in the Leaves and signs of winter were upon the village. The trees remained leafless, the temperature was chilling, and smoke rose from every chimney. Most people were carrying on with their daily lives whilst some people stayed in their homes, frightened of the night, not wishing to see the moon ever again.

Kakashi Hatake's rule was still going well, surprisingly well and all was relatively peaceful. Except for a few rouge shinobi here and there, or minor political dispute. And of course, the Leafs resident hero and knucklehead Naruto Uzumaki had just made it back from the Land of Wind after a joint nation training exercise.

 _*image pans to Naruto making his way to the Hokage's office_

 _"Ughhh, of course, the one-time Kakashi-Sensei isn't stuck in one of his weird pervy novels he's making me turn in an 'after action report.'"_ The blonde thought with a forlorn huff, looking down at his hastily assembled report. He really did try to make it legible, and with no typewriter on hand, he had to make do with a permanent marker and about 30 seconds of concentration. Making it through the halls of the enormous building Naruto arrived at the main office door, he gave it a few good knocks and waited.

"Enter!" Kakashi's voice sounded from the other side. Naruto entered the office space but couldn't help and notice the other presence in the room. A burly man in a brown trench coat with a mane of red beard and an eyepatch, stood adjacent to Kakashi, now staring at Naruto with one cold blue eye.

Naruto's eyes animatedly reduced to the size of peas and a sweat drop formed on his face, "Uhh... Kakashi-Sensei… Who is he?" Naruto pointed for added emphasis

"Naruto this is an acquaintance of mine, and you shouldn't be so rude to strangers." The copy ninja said peevishly shaking his head and dismissing the other man.

"So Naruto do you have the report I requested on the joint ninja training exercise?" Kakashi inquired hopefully, also praying that Naruto's writing skills had improved since his last report.

"Sure do!" Naruto handed the silver-haired ninja the paper with a victorious smile and twinkle of teeth.

As Kakashi opened the paper, he immediately frowned stress lines forming on his face. The report read, _"the mission went really good, I think that we should keep doing this. -Naruto Uzumaki."_ There was a massive splotch on the paper too.

"Naruto, this is barely a full sentence- why is there a stain on the middle of the page!?" The older man asked disappointedly.

Naruto touched his fingers together clearly embarrassed, "I _may_ or _may_ not have spilled instant ramen on that… But I don't know what else you want me to say, I just got back, you can't expect me to go on missions and _write_ stuff." He huffed.

Kakashi groaned, "You could have at least made more of an effort with your penmanship, but oh well."

Naruto's attention span was wearing thin, there was a certain someone he wanted- no, needed to see, "will that be all Kakashi-Sensei?"

The Hokage looked to make sure there weren't any other assignments requiring Naruto's skills. "Yup, things are quiet now, so you're free until I send for you-"

In a flash, Naruto was out the door at full speed nearly tripping over Guy in his wheelchair, and set a course to find a certain lovely lavender-haired girl.

Kakashi groaned aloud, "Oh why do I even bother!" He placed his head in his hands, when Guy wheeled up to his desk. "I know just how to cheer my comrade up, how about we have a youthful contest to see who can balance the heaviest object on their nose!" Guy flashed Kakashi his signature smile and thumbs up.

Hinata had just got done visiting her father at the hospital and decided to make her way to the market square to buy some yarn. She wanted to make a token for Naruto, something he could take on his missions to know she was always thinking of him. They hadn't had much time together since the moon mission, which only furthered her desire to be with him. So she set out to make something for him, "Perhaps I'll buy him some of those instant ramen bowls as well, he loves them so much." The girl thought.

She sighed dejectedly, she wanted so desperately to spend more time with him, but it would seem the world had other plans. Just as soon as they had confessed their love, he had been called away on a mission.

She perked up upon remembering the note he left her the day he set out. "Hinata- Going out to train with the Hidden Sand, I promise as soon as I'm back I'm going to find you and sweep you off your feet… or something – Your knucklehead."

As she turned an illuminated street corner, she was hit by something unbelievably fast, and she fell backward. She had closed her eyes expecting to smash her head on the ground, but she found that something had kept her from falling. She opened one eye and saw two blue ones looking right back at her. "N-Naruto?" He pulled her into a warm embrace, picked her up off the ground and spun around, "Hinata! Boy that was lucky, huh. I was just heading to see you!" She couldn't help but giggle heartedly at his overt display of affection.

"I told you I was going to sweep you off your feet!" He laughed out. All of Hinata's previously downcast thoughts took to the wind in place of pure joy, it seems that her wishes had been granted. "I didn't think you'd be back from your mission so soon…" Her quiet voice trailed off a smile gracing her lips.

"But here I am! Believe it! I actually convinced Gaara to let me off the hook early so I could come to see you." The blonde stated releasing her from his embrace and looking into her eyes. "Really? Just for me, you said that?" She asked averting his gaze a crimson blush forming on her face.

"Of course! I told Gaara about us-" he grinned, "and he understood immediately how much this- _you_ mean to me. So here I am!" She could hear the sincerity in his voice, causing her to blush even more. "Anyway, are you hungry? Ichi Raku is less than a block away- _*He waved his hands dismissively, as if they were on fire*_ unless you don't want ramen, that's perfectly understandable! Ramen in the afternoon _pfft_ no way doesn't make sense who would want that? Ramen is only a breakfast food- wait that doesn't make sense either… hold on" He continued mumbling to himself leaving Hinata with a confused and partly worried face.

"Naruto?" She asked he stopped rambling and brought his eyes to hers again. "Is everything okay?" Her pale eyes searched his blue ones inquisitively.

"Yeah! Heh-uhh yup-" He began to touch his index fingers together, embarrassment etched on his face. "It's just that someone told me it wouldn't exactly be a good idea to go to a ramen stand for our first date."

 **Flashback** :

" _Hey, Sakura! Wait up" Naruto frantically yelled trying to catch up to the pink haired kunoichi. Sakura had not been having a good week, with long shifts at the hospital, dealing with a potential moon landing and a slew of other… personal issues, she had just wanted a bath. Yet, here came the person she had least wanted to see at the moment. Naruto was running to her no doubt intent on spilling some kind of nonsense out of that gaping abyss of a mouth. She clenched her fists in irritation, prepared to strike the current source of her displeasure._

" _Sa-Ku-Ra! Why are you walking faster? Hey are yo-" Naruto felt a fist connect with the side of his head and flew several feet into a cabbage stand._

 _Sakura's forehead veins bulged, "NARUTO I SWEAR YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD REASON TO BE PESTERING ME ON MY DAY OFF! CHAW!" She cracked her knuckles waiting for his response._

 _Naruto gulped visibly, "No please Sakura, I just wanted to ask you something!" He rubbed the bump on his head with a grimace. Sakura merely huffed a strand of hair out of her face, her curiosity, and suspicion, raised. "And what exactly would this question pertain to? Hinata?" She grinned, his lack of response showed that she was right._

" _Uhh, how did you?" He blinked a few times, had she just read his mind?_

" _Are you kidding me? Look Naruto, at this point, I can read you like a book so spill." She put her hands on her hips. "What do you want to know?"_

 _Naruto got up and brushed the decimated remains of cabbage off of his body._

" _Well you see, I-I want to take her out, but I've never done that sort of thing before. It would technically be our first date and I dunno I want to make it special." The blonde said sheepishly, looking up at his friend with eyes that screamed for assistance._

 _Sakura giggled she really never gave Naruto enough credit, he was an idiot, but when it came to Hinata, he was always so sweet and thoughtful. She saw this even before he realized he had loved her._

 _Word had spread quickly amongst their friends about Hinata and Naruto's 'new' relationship, and it wasn't her who spilled the beans, or Ino, it was Shikamaru of all people._

" _What's so funny?" He frowned_

 _She broke from her thoughts. "Oh nothing, I just didn't realize you could be such a sap. If you were any other person, I would tell you to go all out to make a good impression…" She paused for a moment, "But that clearly isn't a problem, in this case, seeing as you both are clearly past impressions. So my advice is, make it simple, but make it special too." Again she paused for breath. "Which means you should be alone, and NO Ichi Raku!" She made sure to add emphasis on that last note._

" _But what if she wants Ichi Raku?" He asked, an innocent enough question but it immediately caused Sakura to halt in her tracks._

 _Sakura's face then turned into a shadowy image of horror similar to what Captain Yamato would do at the campfire. "I really *knuckle crack* doubt *knuckle crack* Hinata *more cracking... WANTS TO GO TO RAMEN STAND!" Her face returning to a normal, smiling Sakura, "Any way that's my advice, good luck Naruto! Just remember to make the night about her, and it should all work out great."_

 _And then the medical ninja skipped away, giddy at the prospect of Naruto and Hinata finally going on a date. This would make for some good gossip down the line._

 _*End flashback*_

Naruto gulped after concluding that blast from the past.

"Our first date," Hinata whispered a wisp of a smile forming on her lips, this would be her and Naruto's first date. _"I can't count my blessings enough, it's not a dream anymore,"_ The dark-haired girl thought.

Naruto's expression changed to a thoughtful one, "yeah, kinda funny ain't it, most people go on dates and then fall in love, but I kind of like being the exception." He laughed a little rubbing the back of his neck.

Hinata couldn't help but smile radiantly at him, every time he mentioned his love for her, it made her soar, like a bird in the sky.

"Well I leave it up to you my lovely lady, we go wherever you want to go." He stated most endearingly.

Hinata thought for a moment, "I think Ichi Raku would be excellent." She wanted to go somewhere that was special for both of them, and as absurd as it may seem, Ichi Rakku held a special place in her heart. Whenever she walked past the old ramen stand, it would cause her to think of Naruto, and the multitude of memories they, and their friends had shared there. Not to mention the owners of the joint were some of the few who had accepted Naruto early on like she had.

"Seriously? A-are you sure? You don't want to go somewhere... fancier?" Uncertainty laced in his voice.

"I am." She said quickly with confidence and sincerity.

"Well then off we go!" Naruto flashed her a toothy grin, before hoisting her up bridal style, "Although I can't have my lady slogging in the mud like some ordinary woman!" Hinata squealed before laughing at his outrageously macho statement.

The night had gone amazingly, it was so amazing that he and Hinata ended up having a contest to see who could eat more ramen, and Hinata won. This came as a surprise, not just to Naruto, but to old man Teuchi and Ayame.

"Well, I must say Naruto you've found quite the catch, pretty, polite, and has excellent taste. You should count your blessings son!" The old man commented causing Hinata to giggle into her hand and Naruto to grin.

"You bet, although she's the one who caught me if I'm being honest." This made the old man shake his head with a smile. "Well young lady, anyone who can keep this rascal humble is always welcome here. Next time you stop by it's on the house."

Hinata smiled and thanked him for his generosity, and the young couple went on there way. It was completely dark now and the night sky was twinkling with thousands of stars.

"Well I should head home now Naruto, I have to visit my father in the morning..." She trailed off sad that they had to part ways, and also upset at the current condition of her father. He may not have always been the most supportive, but he was her father none the less, and it seemed as though he was trying to do right by her now.

"I can walk you home if you want, wouldn't want you getting taken from me again." He offered, recalling the last time he hadn't taken her home.

Hinata's smile returned and she nodded, "I would love that, thank you Naruto." Naruto offered her his arm and she wrapped hers around it, they both loved being close to one another, basking in each other's warmth.

They carried on like that for a while, enjoying one another's presence, the Hyuga household was on the other side of the village meaning the two had a ways to go. It was so peaceful.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, Naruto?" She said his name with a warmth that made his heart skip a beat.

"I just wanted to hear your voice is all." He smiled contentedly.

She didn't know how to respond to that except for with a smile. She felt fuzzy on the inside, sometimes the things he said, and the way he said them, made her melt.

Once the pair had made it to the compound, they stopped and looked at one another. "Thank you for this night Naruto, it was wonderful," she said warmly.

He scratched his face a wide smile on his face, "Of course, I'm glad you had a good time... you know I can pick you up and keep you company at the hospital tomorrow. Kakashi-Sensei said I was free for the next few days so I figured we could spend some more time together that is if you want me too." He looked at his feet sheepishly.

"That would be great." It would be nice to have someone to keep her company at her father's bedside, especially his company.

Naruto grinned stupidly, cupped her face and kissed her deeply, just like that night under the moon. After her initial surprise, Hinata returned the kiss in earnest, both of them basking in each other's love.

They broke apart and rested their foreheads together, "I love you Hinata." He whispered

"And I love you, Naruto."

They both bid each other good night, each of them smiling, awaiting the next day.

 **A/N:**

 **So yeah, tell me what you think, did you love it, did you hate it, or are you somewhere in between? I tried my darndest to keep them in character but this is my first fic for Naruto. I'd love to hear some constructive feedback. I should note again that this is my first time seriously venturing into a romantic setting so bear that in mind. As for the plot of this story, there really isn't much of one at the moment, but I'm always open to suggestions. I have the second chapter done, but I'm waiting to see what you guys think of this first one. (Please don't crucify me for grammar be helpful not hurtful.)**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2: Flowers

**Holy Shit! I actually updated! First off I'd like to thank everyone who followed or favorited this story, seriously the support is amazing. Updates may not always be this 'fast' if I can even say that this was fast. Truth be told I was going to update on Thursday but alas the good ole' internet was down, and now I'm on vacation. Okay, Phew! Now I will shut up.**

 **Chapter 2**

The sun had crept through the blinds of the small apartment signaling the start of another peaceful day in Konoha. Birds were chirping merrily, and Naruto Uzumaki matched their melodic tune with loud, rasping snores.

It wasn't until his alarm went off that he stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom. Lazily he brushed his teeth and carried out the various tasks in his morning routine. Brush his teeth, take a shower, get dressed, cook up some ramen, repeat. That's how his mornings usually went, and then he would be off to either see Kakashi-Sensei or help Iruka-Sensei at the academy. But he was off for the foreseeable future, and he had a place to be today.

He was going to pick Hinata up, and take her to the hospital to visit her father. He had to admit; he wasn't too fond of being in such proximity to Hiashi Huyga all things considered. The man hadn't seemed to notice Naruto or his fondness for his daughter, which left Naruto a little nervous. He wasn't sure how the head of the Hyuga clan would respond when hearing he was dating his daughter and heir. Needless to say, Naruto wasn't too excited to have _that_ conversation with the leader of the Hyuga, even if they had only been dating for a few days. The Hyuga were fiercely set in tradition, tradition that was often preserved at the expense of others. It didn't help that Naruto had sworn to break such traditions, he could only imagine how the other Hyuga's would react.

Naruto decided to cross that bridge when it came, but he wouldn't be caught with his pants down on this one. He knew the kind of hurdles he was going to face, and he was going to make damn sure he got through all the barriers so he and Hinata could be together.

He flicked off the lights to his apartment and headed to the Yamanaka's flower shop. He wanted to get something nice for Hinata before they went to the hospital. Of course, he knew next to nothing about flowers so he hoped Ino would help him out on this one.

 **XXX**

Ino carelessly flipped through the pages of a beauty magazine she had picked up at the market. It was the only thing standing between her and complete and utter boredom. That and Sai's random questions about generally anything, he was an odd duck, but she found it all the more endearing. He had asked her earlier what it meant to be a "pretentious ass," an oddly specific question she recalled, he mentioned something about a bath house but left it at that. Aside from those stray inquires, he remained in the corner of the shop positively hooked onto an Icha Icha novel. He claimed that it was for "research purposes," but she suspected there was an ulterior motive to him reading romance novels of all things.

She sighed, crestfallen that her only source of entertainment was a stupid magazine and her increasingly pervy boyfriend.

She heard the bells to the shop jingle, breaking her out of her reverie. She quickly straightened her posture putting on a peppy facade, ready to make the first sale of the day. Although much to Ino's surprise, and Sai's to boot, the person who had entered the shop was Naruto.

" _Naruto_?" Ino began with disbelief, "Naruto Uzumaki is in a _flower_ shop? Sai am I hallucinating?"

The blonde nervously threw his hands to the back of his neck, an uneasy grin on his face.

"It would appear you are not hallucinating beautiful; Naruto is standing right in front of you." Sai deadpanned, not aware that the question was rhetorical.

"Uhh- hey Ino, Sai. I was wondering if you guys could help me out, well it's more of a question for Ino." Naruto said, clearly uncomfortable in the shop.

Ino smirked, "Sure thing! Although before we get started who is the lucky gal?" She, of course, knew they were for Hinata, but she figured she'd toy with Naruto a little bit. Sure enough, his eyes shot to the ground, a blush making its way onto his whiskered face. "Well, they're for... Hinata, I'm picking her up before we go see her father, but I figured I'd get her something. Seeing how I didn't have time to get her something for our date last night, I guess I want to make up for that." He said sheepishly. "So I figured flowers were a good option, but I know nothing about flowers so I hoped you could help me with that."

Ino giggled merrily, "of course I'll help! But first, tell me about this date, where'd you go? More importantly, how did it go?"

"It went good, Sakura told me to keep it simple, we grabbed a bite to eat, and I walked her home." He smiled fondly, "It was really nice."

Ino moved from behind the counter and walked over to one of the various assortments of flowers.

"Well I must say it's about time, but I'm glad you and Hinata have finally found one another. Shikamaru told me about your kiss in the moonlight." Ino sniffed a rose deeply, "I gotta say, you know how to make your move. Which leads me to believe more happened last night than you two just talking if ya know what I mean." Ino wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Yes, I must say Naruto you have inspired me to research the ways of love more deeply. This novel is full of knowledge on the subject." Sai added, only furthering Naruto's discomfort. He gave Sai a particularly unsettled glare. He didn't like the idea of being Sai's inspiration for one of his weird bouts of "research." On top of that, Shikamaru tolled everyone? Had he been watching them that night, then again they didn't exactly hide it.

"Oh don't mind him Naruto, he's been acting kinda _strange_ lately. Well, stranger than usual that is" Ino looked at Sai thoughtfully before turning her attention back to the matter at hand. "So what did you have in mind, what do you want to convey."

"Riiight... well I'm not sure, I've never had to buy anyone flowers. I want something that compliments Hinata, something beautiful, and sweet, but not too explosive." Naruto said, unaware that he sounded uncharacteristically thoughtful.

Ino mulled over his words for a moment, "I think I know just the right combo." She dragged Naruto around the shop, helping him pick and choose the right flowers. In the end, Naruto had selected an assortment of white daisies, Lavender flowers, and sunflowers. The Daisies symbolized Hinata's pure and loving nature, while the lavender was meant to compliment her grace and the sunflowers were meant to show his devotion to her.

Of course, Ino had to explain what each flower meant. But overall Ino was pretty impressed with Naruto's assortment, she had helped him sure, but he was the deciding factor. She also found his rationale behind his choices absolutely cute.

"So what do I owe you?" Naruto asked, reaching for his Gama-chan wallet.

Ino waved her hand, "don't worry about it, it's on the house. Just make sure to tell Hinata I said hello."

Naruto thanked Ino for her generosity and left the shop, making his way for the Hyuga compound.

 **XXX**

Naruto had made the walk all the way to the Hyuga compound in good time. Mounting the steps to the front doors with determination. Guarding the entrance were two Hyuga guards, both of them giving Naruto an emotionless glare.

"State your name and business." The guard on his left declared, in a reserved yet authoritative manner, similar to how he had seen most Hyuga's act.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I'm here to see Hin- Lady Hinata." He gulped, thanking his stars he remembered to maintain formality. The last thing he needed was a gentle fist strike to the gut, and these guys meant business if there constant staring said anything.

The guard on the right looked at the one on the left and nodded to his comrade. "You may enter."

As Naruto made his way through the door, one of the guards grabbed him by the arm, leaning close to his ear and whispered. "Lady Hinata will be in her room, second floor, third room on the left, good luck Naruto." The guard winked at him before returning to his stonelike position. Naruto did a double take, realizing the guard was Ko Hyuga, Hinata's old caretaker. Naruto made a mental note to thank him later.

After wandering around the lower levels of the compound, he finally found the staircase. Making his way up he remembered Ko's directions and found Hinata's door. He instinctively combed his fingers through his hair and tested his breath, and to his pleasant surprise, it didn't smell like the ramen he had eaten for breakfast.

After mentally hyping himself up he gently knocked on the door. He then heard a soft, "come in." He slid the door open to find Hinata standing before a mirror, running a brush through her long hair. She smiled at him in the mirror, "you can sit down if you like, I'll be only another minute." He plopped down on the edge of her bed, careful not to cause any folds in the pristine sheets.

Naruto couldn't help but gaze at her, she wasn't wearing anything extravagant, just her usual outfit, but she just looked, _beautiful_. She'd always been beautiful, but lately, he'd been looking at her in more detail, and he was positively enamored by her. She was the essence of purity, grace, and compassion. His eyes began to track down her form, and for a moment his mind ran wild with thoughts only the Pervy Sage would be proud of. He hit himself on the head, trying hard to banish those thoughts away. Kurama laughed at his discontent. " _It seems your blood runs hot for this woman. Otherwise, your thoughts wouldn't be so, dare I say, explicit."_ Naruto told the fox to shut its pervy mouth. He hated when Kurama perused his thoughts like a picture book. The fox laughed deeply before fading away in his conscious.

His arguing with Kurama had seemed to cause him to space out, his eyes still firmly glued to Hinata, causing the girl to blush. "N-Naruto?" He had been staring intently at her for several moments, causing her to feel self-conscious. She folded her hands and looked at her feet, was he displeased with the way she looked? "Is something wrong Naruto?"

Her voice seemed to give him a jolt, and he rubbed the back of his neck, "Huh, nothing wrong here, I uhh-just...well-you um-" He was getting flustered and started mumbling again before quickly getting his mind back on track. "It's just that you look, very nice today," Naruto's face turned a whole new shade of red, and Hinata looked much the same. They both averted each other's gazes for a while, too embarrassed.

"Oh... thank you Naruto," her voice had become so quiet, she tried so hard not to faint, she had promised herself she would stop doing that in front of him. Instead, she smiled at him, glancing at his face under her lashes. "You look good as well."

The two remained rooted to their spots, an awkward silence filling the air. "Umm- I got you these, it's not much, but I forgot to get you anything last night and soo." He said remembering the flowers. Ino had them sealed in a scroll to preserve their freshness. He fumbled around with the seal for a moment before, poof! The scroll turned into a bouquet of flowers.

"You got them, for me?" She asked, a fuzzy feeling making itself known in her chest.

"Yeah, of course, they're for you. Do you not like them? It's okay if you don't..." His trademark confidence was chipping away, and immediately Hinata shook her head, "no, no I love them, I just can't believe you got me flowers." She smiled warmly at him putting them in an empty vase. "Anyway we should probably get going, don't want to keep my father waiting."

 **XXX**

The pair made it to the hospital, and after consulting with the receptionist, made their way to Hiashi's room.

Naruto noted that the man he had seen in Kakashi-Sensei's office was walking down the same hall. The man gave him a glare with his one blue eye and carried on walking, a small bag in his left hand. Boy that guy gave Naruto the creeps, what with his weird metal eyepatch and cold, beady eye. He shuddered at the thought of what kind of gnarled mess lay beneath that patch.

"I think this is the room," Hinata said meekly, Naruto twisted the door handle and let her in first following right behind her. He shut the door quietly, not wanting to wake the Hyuga leader.

The EKG rhythmically beeped while Hiashi laid on the bed, his eyes closed. If it hadn't been for the rise and fall of the man's chest, he would have thought the man was dead. His skin was pale, his forehead had a large bandage around it, undoubtedly due for changing because of the gross yellow color it had turned to. It truly was a miracle the man was still alive. Hinata opened up the window to let some fresh air in and adjusted her father's covers as to make him more comfortable.

She kept moving around the room, tiding things up making sure everything was where it should be, as a worker bee would. Naruto grinned, she had to be the most caring and thoughtful person he knew.

When all was said and done, Hinata pulled up a chair and sat at her father's side taking his hand into her own. Naruto perched himself up on the window and watched over the two of them.

He took the time to map out Hinata's face, the curvature of her nose, the lashes of her eyes, the way her eyebrows scrunched up when she was concerned. Naruto took it all in, something about her face made him feel at ease, at peace. A feeling he seldom felt after the war.

"You okay?" He asked her from across the room

She looked up at him with her pale eyes and nodded, "yeah, I'm just concerned is all. Rationally I know he's going to be okay, but I still worry." Her voice was soft, full of compassion. "It's funny, I used to think my father never cared for me, he was always cold and assertive, never believing in me. But I still loved him; he's my papa, the only one I've got. And to think he sustained these injuries to defend me." She wiped her eyes briefly, "It gives me joy to know that he cares for me, but it hurts to know I'm the cause of his pain."

Naruto got up from his perch and took a seat next to Hinata, taking her other hand in his bandaged one. "Oh come on now, that's no way to talk. You have nothing to do with his pain. This whole thing was entirely out of the blue, and there's nothing you did, or could have done to cause him pain." He told her soothingly, trying to lift her spirits. "I think he would tell you the same thing."

Hinata gave Naruto an appreciative smile, "thank you Naruto, for coming today. Just you being here brings me comfort."

"If it means making you happy I would do anything, believe it." Hinata giggled at the mention of his old catchphrase.

"Well isn't that sweet." A new voice commented from behind them.

Naruto and Hinata whipped their heads around, meeting Sakura's amused gaze. "Sakura! Don't sneak up on us like that!" Naruto spat, instantly annoyed.

The pinkette threw her hands up in mock surrender, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But you guys need to pack it up because I gotta make my rounds and Lord Hiashi's up next on the list."

The couple got up and made their way out, Hinata thanking Sakura as they exited. They made their way out of the hospital and into the cold, early afternoon air.

"You wanna hang out at my place, it's nice and warm, I could cook us up some ramen, and we can watch a movie or something," Naruto asked her.

"Yeah that would be nice, it would be great to get out of this cold." She agreed. Naruto wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, warming her up on their way. They then spent the rest of the way to his apartment deciding what to watch, finally coming to a conclusion to just cross that bridge when it came.

 **A/N: So how'd it go? I enjoyed writing this chap a lot, especially the interactions Naruto had with Sai and Ino. Maybe I'll write a chapter from Sai's perspective, maybe. Anyway, let me know what you guys thought if you want, reviews are always appreciated.**

 **Until next time, -Mr. Block**


	3. Chapter 3: The Words of our Fathers

**Chapter 3: Words of Our Father's**

It had been a month since Naruto and Hinata had officially become an item, and it had been one of the most amazing months of Hinata's life. She and Naruto had spent nearly all of that time together, quickly becoming closer and closer to one another. She had been happier in this one month than in any other moment in her whole life.

Of course, she didn't have too many happy moments to recall from, which made Naruto all the more important to her. With just a few words he could bring her mind to ease, with a simple grin he washed all of her worries away. More importantly, he saw her. He didn't see a freak with weird eyes; he didn't see the Hyuga heiress, and he didn't see failure. He saw _Hinata_ , and that was all she had ever wanted.

She allowed a smile to grace her lips, and not a small barely noticeable smile, a full-fledged smile, from ear to ear. The day was looking to be a good one, the sky was clear, the weather wasn't bone-chilling, and everyone else on the streets seemed to be in good spirits. Many of the genin she helped train at the academy waved and greeted her as she walked by, which was a pleasant surprise. Hinata wasn't the most sociable of the chunin teachers, but her students had latched onto her right from the beginning.

She mounted the hospital steps once again, for what seemed like the hundredth time in the weeks following her father's injury. It had become a distasteful routine to be sure, but today would mark its conclusion. Her father was set to be released today, he had regained consciousness, and his wounds had almost fully healed.

Despite herself, Hinata had felt nervous about his release, about how he would react to the way things had changed. More specifically, how her life had changed, and how Naruto Uzumaki was an instrumental part of that change.

She knew the way her father felt towards Naruto, something she could only describe as a sort of polite indifference. He was thankful, like many others, for his service to the leaf, but aside from that he never really paid the Uzumaki any mind. Which meant she had no idea how the man would react upon learning his eldest daughter, and heir, was dating the villages hero. But, she couldn't imagine any scenario in which he responded positively.

However, the way he responded mattered little to Hinata, she had resolved long ago that regardless of judgment from her father or the elders she would have no man but Naruto. It didn't matter what they said, or what they threatened her with, Hinata would not give an inch.

Granted, she may be being a tad bit irrational, she doubted they would go so far as to threaten her. That and the fact she was planning for a situation that may never come to pass. Even so, she steeled herself for whatever happened after she crossed into those waters.

When she met the receptionist, she was instructed to take a seat and wait for a doctor to bring her father and serve up the release papers.

A full half hour passed before her father was being guided to the front with Sakura. Hinata noticed how her father leaned heavily on a cane before meeting her gaze, instinctively she turned her eyes to her feet.

"Okay Hinata, first things first, you need to sign these forms on the dotted line, and he's good to go. However, he does need to take a couple of medications. Hydrocodone once a day, and this anti-biotic twice a day." Sakura informed her shaking the little bottles in her hand, while Hinata signed the papers.

Taking the clipboard back Sakura smiled, "You're all set, say hello to Naruto for me when he gets back, and have a good day."

Hinata's face flushed red, she managed a weak nod before glancing quickly at her father, who didn't seem perturbed in the slightest. Hinata had hoped to break the news to her father later that evening, but it appeared that opportunity had been ripped from underneath her. It didn't help that her father now walked at what seemed a snail's pace.

The two made their way down the street in silence, each second feeling like an eternity.

"So, how is the Uzumaki lad?" her father asked. Hinata's pale eyes widened in surprise.

"What?" She stopped and looked at him, she thought she was dreaming because she could see the faintest of smiles on his lips. Her father rarely smiled.

"I asked you how the Uzumaki boy was, I would be remiss if I didn't ask about the man who has taken my daughter's heart," he stated.

Hinata felt her stomach wrench, she couldn't tell by his voice if he was irritated, upset, approving, she just couldn't say. Taking a deep breath, she decided to speak her mind. "Regardless of how you found out or what you think, I will not be with any other person, not in this world or the next. So you can scrutinize me, belittle me, or disown me... you could even try and seal me for all I care- "

Hiashi cut her off, "Hinata! Enough of that!"

Hinata met her father's eyes with her own, and she held his gaze, not daring to look away. She would not back down again, not to him or to the clan, not anymore. She opened her mouth to speak again, determined to let her father know he had no say in this matter. But Hiashi started before her.

"I am not reprimanding you. The young man came to me yesterday, and we discussed this topic at length. He informed me of his intent to court you and asked for my permission which I gave him." Hiashi stated approval in his tone.

"You did! But I thought maybe..." Hinata trailed off, utterly shocked. The whole of the conversation had switched paces twice in a matter of seconds. One moment she was mouthing off about an evidently false assumption, and now her father had just stated he approved of their relationship.

"Maybe I would say no? Oh, my daughter, I would be nothing short of a fool to say no to someone who brings you such happiness." He confessed with sincerity in his tone.

Hiashi slowly planted himself on a park bench, sighing in relief. "I have made many mistakes in my life, too many to count. I failed my brother and my nephew, allowing both to die. I was unable to save my wife…"

He shook his head. "More importantly, I failed to be your father. I should have been more supportive, and I should have been more nurturing, and I most definitely should have shown both you and Hanabi more love. It is only now after all these years that I have realized these things, and so I have decided to not fail my family any longer." Wiping his face, he continued. "I swore to your mother that I would do right by both of you, and in my efforts to fulfill that promise I only succeeded in pushing both of you away."

He paused, standing before the path to the compound, "So my daughter if this young man brings you happiness if he treats you with love and affection. What kind of father would I be if I refused you such a request? I only want to bring you the happiness you deserve, and if Naruto Uzumaki brings you that joy I will not stand between the two of you. If you deem him worthy, then so will I." With that Hiashi cupped his daughter's face and placed a kiss upon her forehead.

Hinata felt tears well up in her eyes and immediately pulled her father into an embrace, burying her face into his chest. Hiashi tentatively returned the embrace, also feeling the onset of tears. He had not shared a moment like this with his daughter for many years, before her mother had died.

"Oh thank you, papa, thank you!" Hinata sobbed. Hiashi let his tears fall freely, he couldn't remember the last time she had referred to him that way. Truthfully, he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so proud.

"It is not me you should thank Hinata, like you said, my opinion really doesn't matter." He chuckled knowingly, "You are a lot like your mother in that regard. You have become a powerful kunoichi, and a wonderful woman and I'm sure she would have been so proud of you."

 **XXX**

Kakashi flew through the forest towards the Land of Lightning. At the request of the Raikage, all five Kage were being summoned due to increasing reports of rogue shinobi activity. Usually, this wouldn't merit a meeting of the kage, but these reports also made it clear that the rouges were more organized than before.

Rouge shinobi often acted as blades for hire, selling themselves out to the highest bidder, they seldom worked in unison. If they did, it was purely attributed to coincidence, and lately, it had appeared small cells of these shinobi had been working in conjunction with one another. One incident that happened in the leaf, involving the stealing of secret medical research, had also occurred in all the other five great nations on the same day. This level of coordination itself was enough for concern, but the topic of the research stolen was also perplexing. It seemed all the research regarding the transplanting of eyes was copied and taken from the archives.

Kakashi had been mulling over these facts during their journey, but he still couldn't figure out an angle. He didn't have enough information to even speculate what was going on behind the scenes. Which is why he hoped and prayed that the other Kage had more knowledge.

He sighed and shook his head, he shouldn't be fretting so much over such a seemingly insignificant issue. If he was honest, this was the most exciting thing that had happened since the moon incident. Everything since then had been financial reports, construction ordinances, and delegating tasks that would have otherwise interested him to other people. In short, Kakashi had an extreme case of cabin fever, which is why he practically jumped through the roof on the prospect of a mission.

He turned his attention towards his two compatriots, he'd brought along Shikamaru and Naruto for this outing. Shikamaru had a knack for solving the obscure and unusual, and Naruto was excellent at defeating obscure and unusual opponents so the two were the logical pair for this job. It also served Naruto's interest to see more of these Kage summits. Admittedly his old student had grown in more ways than one. He was much more attentive, he was no longer prone to unnecessary outbursts, and he had found love, but that didn't excuse his lack of diplomatic experience.

Kakashi grinned under his mask, he couldn't help but feel a little pride swell up in his chest. He knew Naruto was going to be a great Hokage, he'd always had a hunch about the knucklehead, but Naruto had surpassed all expectations.

Kakashi took a moment to wonder if this feeling was something akin to fatherly pride. Was this how his father felt after Kakashi had learned a new jutsu, or when he had graduated from the academy? Either way, he couldn't, in words, describe how proud he was of Naruto. Kakashi looked into the moonlit sky and silently thanked Minato-Sensei and Kushina, for granting him the opportunity to train and guide Naruto.

Shikamaru held up his hand, signaling for the trio to stop. "This looks like a decent location to crash for the night," Shikamaru stated in his usually disinterested tone. "Naruto, get a fire started, I'm going to set up a perimeter." Shikamaru then wandered off into the darkness leaving Kakashi and Naruto alone.

"All right Kakashi-Sensei, time to get this fire started," Naruto muttered, his usual enthusiasm missing from his tone. He arranged the firewood he had packed and with a little burst of the Chidori from Kakashi a nice little fire was started.

"So Naruto, what's the deal, you've been acting a little down in the dumps today," Kakashi asked.

Naruto mumbled something incoherent before plopping himself up against the tree."Wanna talk about it?" Kakashi poked. Naruto looked his sensei in the eye's for a brief second before looking in the fire, "It's Hinata."

Kakashi was slightly perplexed, "what about her? You both seemed fine when we left. Did you do something?"

Naruto met his gaze again, looking slightly irate, "No nothing like that. I just don't like being away from her is all, and why does everyone assume I did something?" He humphed, "But to answer your question, no nothing's wrong, everything's great... I just don't like being away from her is all."

Kakashi chuckled, "I see, so you're just a little lovesick."

Naruto gave his sensei a sidelong glare, "Yeah I guess, it's just that we've gotten so close this past month and..."

"You feel like you're being stripped away from her just as soon as you've found a rhythm?" Kakashi finished.

Naruto nodded immediately, "yeah! But how did you figure that out so fast? I've never seen you with a girl, like ever. Except for that one convict from the airship, but that was just a rumor so…"

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "you heard about that? Look, I've been around for a while, it's not that hard to believe." He sighed, and a far gone look graced his eyes. "I may have entertained the idea of settling down once. But that thought, for more reasons than one, fled me before I had time to think it through."

Naruto was shocked, "Who was she?"

"Pardon? Oh, her name was Rin..." Kakashi chuckled solemnly, "She was on your father's team, like Obito and me. After I thought Obito had died, we started seeing each other. We were kids, but... over the years we became kinda close." Kakashi swallowed, "We never became anything serious, but... before anything could happen she died."

"I'm so sorry sensei, I never thought you... well you know, with all the weird pervy books and stuff, I just figured..." Naruto replied, regret laced in his voice.

"Yeah well Icha Icha came much later... Can I give you a piece of advice Naruto?" Kakashi asked gazing at his former student.

"Sure, of course."

"Don't let anything get in between you and Hinata. What you two have is something very seldom found in this world, and no matter what, never let it go. Because it's bonds like yours that keep us from losing ourselves to oblivion. Also, don't knock the novels till you try 'em you never know when they'll come in handy." He wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, stood up and into the woods, muttering something about how nature calling his name.

Naruto's face turned to one of disgust at that last remark before smiling broadly. "You bet I won't let go... never in a million years," he said to himself, barely whispering as sleep took him.

 **A/N: *Wipes brow* Boom! Another one! I wanted to display a touching moment with Hiashi and Hinata. The last part with Kakashi and Naruto kind of followed that theme. At this point Kakashi is the closest father figure Naruto has that is still alive and so I felt like it would be a nice addition. Anyway let me know what you guy's think, peace!**


	4. Author's Alert!

**Hey all! I am not giving up on The Bonds we Share! I know it has only been a week or so, but I digress.**

 **The reason all of you awesome people aren't getting a chapter is because this past week I broke my ankle. I already posted the details on my account bio in case any of you were interested. (Side note: I post little status updates on my page, so if you're curious about what I am doing it'll be there.) All that said I also moved into my dorm and am getting ready to start my first year of college, so I haven't been able to sit down and write all that much. Of course, I am still working on this story; it may just take a little longer for me to post. However, I don't have class till Monday so I'll see if I can crank something out before then. (NO PROMISES).**

 **When I get chapter 4 up, I'll remove this little note. Anyway, ya'll are awesome, please review and stay safe**


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